Country music legend Glen Campbell dies

Country music legend Glen Campbell, the mellow-voiced "Rhinestone Cowboy" who sold millions of albums over a career that spanned decades, has died at the age of 81.

Campbell, who left his mark on the music, television and movie worlds, died in Nashville, Tennessee, after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.

"It is with the heaviest of hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and legendary singer and guitarist," his family said in a statement.

Campbell's more than 70 albums sold more than 50 million copies, earning him six Grammy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award, and membership in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Musicians Hall of Fame.

Glen Travis Campbell was born on April 22, 1936 in a small town in the southern state of Arkansas, the seventh of 12 children of a struggling sharecropper.

According to Campbell's website, his father recognized his talent at an early age and bought him a $5 guitar when he was four years old. He was taught to play by his Uncle Boo.

Campbell left home at the age of 14, performing on radio and television in Albuquerque, New Mexico, before landing in Los Angeles in 1960.